13.
2:19 p.m
Fabio Pfohl’s injury took away the flow of the match for a moment, and both teams briefly gathered themselves together.
12.
2:17 p.m
Ugh, a very painful blow for Fabio Pfohl! The 28-year-old is checked by his opponent right in the area of a door in the boards and immediately lies dazed on the ice before he is dragged down by two teammates. Get well soon!
11.
2:15 p.m
But even though the start of this power play was promising, there wasn’t much more to come from Wolfsburg. The polar bears also survive the second outnumbered period unscathed and are allowed to replenish their own ranks.
10.
2:14 p.m
There wasn’t much missing from the grizzlies! After a long-range shot, Spencer Machacek lurks in the goal area, but pushes the puck past the box!
9.
2:14 p.m
Minor penalty (2 minutes) for Eric Mik (Eisbären Berlin)
Already the second penalty against the home team, this time Eric Mi was caught due to a gang check.
8th.
14:11
The capital club appeared to be much more alert in the early stages than their opponents and clearly dominated the game.
7.
14:11
Another good opportunity for the hosts, who continue to sniff the lead! After a nice assist from Zach Boychuk, Yannick Veilleux just hits it from the slot. At the last moment, Laurin Braun gets his racket between them and blocks the attempt.
6.
2:07 p.m
Apart from that, Serge Aubin’s team doesn’t let anything go wrong and keeps putting the target behind.
5.
2:06 p.m
The guests quickly find their desired formations and let the puck flow well. Ultimately, Ryan O’Connor pulls away at the blue line and calls on Eisbären goalkeeper Jake Hildebrand for the first time.
4.
2:04 p.m
Minor penalty (2 minutes) for Julian Melchiori (Eisbären Berlin)
First penalty of the game! Julian Melchiori ends up in the cooler for two minutes due to disability.
3.
2:04 p.m
Berlin builds up a lot of pressure in the first few minutes and consistently pushes Wolfsburg back into their own third.
2.
2:02 p.m
Quick first shots from the home side: Tobias Eder fires the hard rubber from the center into the bottom right corner, but Grizzlys goalie Dustin Strahlmeier is there with his pad. A few seconds later, Yannick Veilleux tries dangerously out of the slot.
1.
2:01 p.m
Let’s start in the Mercedes-Benz Arena! The main referees on the ice will be Aleksander Polaczek and Andris Ansons, who will be supported on the lines by Wayne Gerth and Tobias Treitl.
1.
2:01 p.m
Game start
13:42
Meanwhile, the big question among fans is: Will there be a spectacle again? Both teams will remember the last meeting in the capital too well. Wolfsburg was leading 4-0 and 6-1 at times, but after the Eisbären caught up, things got really tight again shortly before the end. In the end it was an incredible 9:6 for Lower Saxony. “The Berliners will definitely be hot, it’s clear. “But that’s what we are,” said Mike Stewart and assumed: “I don’t assume there will be as many goals again.”
13:33
The Wolfsburg team are also in good shape, although the Lower Saxony team recently suffered a small setback against Adler Mannheim (0:3). Nevertheless, the Grizzlys are currently in a solid fifth place and are basically only looking forward. “We really want to get points on Boxing Day too,” said coach Mike Stewart, but added: “The Eisbären are one of the absolute top teams in this league. They have enormous quality and prove it again and again.”
13:21
The polar bears are still firmly on course for the playoffs and are guaranteed to be able to look forward to a quiet Christmas. Head coach Serge Aubin’s team is currently in second place in the table with 60 points and has been firmly established at the top for a long time. The capital club’s recent form is also good. Berlin recently achieved two narrow victories against Nuremberg (3:2) and Augsburg (6:5). However, Aubin warned: “It is a challenge to play straight after Christmas. But we’re used to that in hockey.”
1:15 p.m
Hello and welcome to the 31st matchday of the DEL! On Boxing Day, the Wolfsburg Grizzlys will be visiting the Eisbären Berlin. The first puck drops in the Mercedes-Benz Arena at 2 p.m.